Another Year, Another Bear?

Stocks took another big tumble in Wednesday’s trading, and by now I think most of us are suffering from what best could be described as bear market fatigue.

I know there were a lot of financial pundits who went on TV the first week of January to proclaim that 2009 would be a lot better than 2008. And while I hope they are right, I’d rather look at reality in the stark light of evidence.

As you can see by the chart here of the S&P 500 Index, its been virtually all downhill so far in the nascent stages of 2009. As of today’s close, we are down nearly 7% on the S&P 500 in January, and that does not portend well for the return of the bulls to Wall Street.

Of course, we may get a nice bounce from here that could propel the market higher, but I think that any surge to the upside likely will be fleeting. Hey, I wish I were the bearer of some really bullish news about 2009, but unfortunately I must deal with things as they are, and not as I wish them to be.

The question for investors here is what do you do with your money, given this bear-fatigued market? Well, one way is to have a proven plan in place that keeps you away from bear markets and puts you back into stocks when the bull comes back on the stage.

For more than three decades now, following a plan is exactly what subscribers to my Successful Investing advisory service have been doing. If you’d like to find out more about how to navigate this market storm with a plan that provides an even keel, click here.